You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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I'm warning you, I'm going to cry this morning. I'm not 100% sure why, but fair warning.
I don't always give you a warning on that. I don't know what's coming.
This morning we're going to turn to the book of Zechariah.
Now, it's near the very end of the Old Testament, right before you hit Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The story in chapter 3 is actually a vision that God gives this prophet.
A vision that in a really glorious way tells the whole gospel.
The good news of this redeeming God we've been talking about this summer in the Old Testament.
And a gracious Savior that He's sending.
Let's read this vision in Zechariah 3 all the way through.
And then I'll give you some context as we consider it together.
This is God's holy word.
In a world where people often tell you what you want to hear.
The only constant source of truth.
In a world where things are constantly changing.
The only thing you can count on to stay the same.
In a world that's full of cynicism.
The one thing that always, always offers hope.
Let's listen.
Zechariah 3 verse 1.
Then He showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord,
and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
And the Lord said to Satan,
The Lord rebuke you, O Satan.
The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you.
Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?
Now Joshua was standing before the angel clothed with filthy garments.
And the angel said to those who were standing before him,
Remove the filthy garments from him.
And to him he said,
Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you,
and I will clothe you with pure vestments.
And I said, Let them put a clean turban on his head.
So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments.
And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua,
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge,
then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts.
And I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest,
you and your friends who sit before you,
for they are men who are a sign.
Behold, I will bring my servant, the branch.
For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua,
on a single stone with seven eyes,
I will engrave its inscription,
declares the Lord of hosts.
And I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.
In that day, declares the Lord of hosts,
every one of you will invite his neighbor
to come under his vine and under his fig tree.
This is God's word.
Let's pray and ask for his help.
Father, you've been so kind to us.
And we ask again this morning that we would
experience your kindness and grace in yet another way,
that you would take this word
and that you would write its truth
on our hearts.
We know your word is true.
We need it to penetrate our hearts,
to redirect us,
to shape us,
to help us believe the truth
and have that be life-changing to us forever.
You love to do that by your spirit.
So would you work, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
In case, like me,
you're not a Zechariah scholar,
let me tell you a bit of the story
of God's people up to this point
so that we'll understand where we are
when this vision comes in.
God's people are created
to reflect his image, right?
To fill the earth with his glory.
In fact, Israel in particular
has been called especially
to have this special close relationship
with God
where they trust him,
where they follow his laws
and they share his goodness
with everyone
as a light to the nations.
That's who they're to be.
But instead,
they have over and over,
generation after generation,
wandered after other gods
in repeated idolatry.
So eventually,
in an effort to bring their hearts
back to him,
God has raised up the Assyrians
and the Babylonians,
these foreign nations
who don't know him,
to take his people into exile
away from the promised land.
And they've spent decades
suffering under foreign domination,
cruel oppression.
But now,
some of them have been brought back
to the promised land
to make Jerusalem great again.
And they've begun to work
to rebuild the city
and the temple
where the presence of God
dwells among them.
And hopes are high.
There's excitement.
Visions of promised greatness
return.
We'll be God's people
in God's land
and everything will be
the way it's supposed to be.
But those hopes
have started fading
pretty quickly.
When Zechariah shows up,
Jerusalem is far
from its former glory.
The walls of the city
and the temple
are incomplete.
Opposition has been strong.
Taxes have been high
from foreign nations
and their influence
in the world is low.
Light to the nations.
They're just trying
to keep some light on at all.
God's people,
discouraged by the progress
they see.
They're ready to despair
of that hope of former glory,
have left off the work
of rebuilding God's city
and God's temple.
They've begun to focus
on their own homes
rather than God's house.
They're just seeking
to make life
as good as they can
for themselves.
Nothing better could happen.
Maybe you can relate
to feelings like that.
High hopes about God.
And then disappointment.
Maybe even spiritual discouragement.
And you're ready
to give up.
Perhaps to give up
on great things for God
and just kind of get by
with what you can get
for yourself.
Maybe that's where you are.
Or maybe you're just
ready to give up altogether
on any true success.
Yes.
Maybe you're on your
second marriage
or a fresh start
on your first marriage
and you've committed
to saying this won't be
like it used to be.
Those same problems
won't happen again.
And they're back.
And this time
you're blaming yourself.
Maybe you look at your church
and her weaknesses
are more obvious to you
than her strengths
and you're pretty sure
it's never going to change.
Maybe you battle feelings,
desires in your heart
that you don't understand
or like.
But God doesn't seem
to be taking them away
and you feel like
He never will.
Maybe you promised yourself
never to fall into
that sin again.
And yet the addiction
to the bottle
or the images
on the computer screen
has reared its ugly head
again.
And you're pretty sure
it's never going to go away.
Is God even real?
Why has nothing changed?
It's easy to get discouraged
and even to lose hope,
isn't it?
Well, it seems pretty hopeless
for God's people
at the beginning
of Zechariah's vision too.
Just look at verse 1.
Joshua, the high priest,
remember what's the priest's job?
The priest is a representative
of God's people
before him, right?
So the priest,
representing all God's people,
is standing there
before the angel of the Lord,
representing Yahweh Himself,
God's people,
standing before their God.
And then in verse 3,
we read that he's clothed
with filthy garments.
You may not even know
exactly what that means,
but it's not good, is it?
That's not the way
God's people
ought to be
before God.
But it's not just
how dirty
the high priest is,
but how disqualified
he is.
For a priest to be
covered in filth
disqualifies him
from his calling.
To stand and serve
in God's presence,
it's not allowed.
Imagine you're invited
to a formal
black tie only event.
And so you get all cleaned up
in your tuxedo,
and it's a fancy evening,
and here you go,
and you're driving
down the highway,
and along the side of the road,
you notice a man
in an orange jumpsuit
working in the hot sun
along the highway
picking up trash.
Now you can't
pick this inmate up
and take him
to the black tie event
because he's dirty, right?
And you just got
your car cleaned,
and you really don't
want him in there
messing up your nice
car and suit.
But it's more than that,
isn't it?
It's not just that
he's sweaty and muddy.
You can't pick him up
and drive off anywhere
with him because
he's disqualified
as a convict
from leaving,
from getting in your car,
and certainly
from going to
a black tie event.
We'll come back
to the orange jumpsuit
and black tie
in a minute.
But it's actually
God's people.
You and me
in the orange jumpsuit,
right?
We're not the ones
in the tux
driving the car
here in this story.
God's people
are guilty
of repeated idolatry,
disqualified
from being
with God.
And it gets
worse.
Who stands there
to point out
the awful reality
of the situation
but Satan
himself
whose very name
means accuser
and he is
attacking
God's people
passionately,
viciously.
It's what he does.
And I mean,
after all,
they're pretty easy
to accuse.
Aren't we?
Satan highlights
our awful
failures.
Reminds us
how undeserving
we are
and those things
may be true
but then as he
always does,
he subtly lies
to us
about God
in the midst
of that.
He tells us
all sorts
of things.
We tend to believe
the lies mixed in
with the truth
that he tells
to us.
Here's
what it sounds
like.
I know
a bit of
what the accuser
says because
just in recent
weeks
he's said
these things
I'm about to
tell you to
one of you
or to me
personally.
Things like
you've blown
it too badly
to be really
loved
or valued
again.
Your marriage
will never be
like hers
anyway
so why bother?
How could
God use you
to share
about him
with someone
else
when you
battle doubts
yourself?
You've lost
your zeal
for God
just coast
through like
everyone else
it'll never
be any better.
You messed
up your own
kid
how could
you ever
be used
to love
someone else?
You're such
a failure
that you do
the big sins
even after
you promise
you won't
again.
No one
can help
someone as
messed up
as you
are.
Don't
even ask
God for
his help
before you
can show
that you
really mean
it
that he's
not just
wasting his
time on
you.
Get it
together
and then
come ask
him to
help out.
God.
And we
tend to
believe
these lies.
The
hopelessness
discouragement
even
despair
creeps
in.
If you've
ever heard
one of
these lies
in your
own head
if you've
ever
believed
something
like that
in your
own heart
I want
you to
listen
to what
God
really
says.
This passage
is going
to set
some of
those lies
straight
and I
want you
to hear
the truth
from God's
word.
Verse 2
for example
the Lord
says to
Satan
as he
accuses
the Lord
rebuke
you oh
Satan
the Lord
who has
chosen
Jerusalem
rebuke
you.
Is not
this a
brand
plucked
from the
fire?
Stop
it!
You think
God is
angry?
Yes
he is.
Angry
with
Satan.
He's
rebuking
him.
The Lord
rebuke
you
Satan.
Don't
you
talk
about
my
kids
that
way.
God
says
I
will
decide
whom
I
will
love
and
treasure
and
use
and I
chose
them.
I
brought
them
back
again
from
exile.
I
plucked
them
from
the
fire
and
am
holding
them
forth
as a
light
to
the
nations.
Don't
you
dare
tell
them
they
should
give
up
hope.
I
am
for
them.
They
are
mine
and I
haven't
given
up
on
them.
Y'all
listen.
We
must
believe
the
greater
story
that
God
tells
when the
lies
of
Satan
come
at
us.
Think
about
it.
Who
are
we
to
tell
God
that
his
love
for
us
is
too
deep?
Who
are
we
to
tell
God
that
his
plans
for
us
are
too
great?
Who
are
we
to
tell
God
that
his
hope
for
us
is
too
firm?
Hear
the
good
news.
Our
God
forgives
and
restores
repeat
offenders,
terrible
ones,
undeserving
sinners,
and
dysfunctional
churches.
He
doesn't
give up
on
them.
He
loves
them.
Did
you hear
that?
He
doesn't
give up
on
them.
Don't
you
believe
that
lie?
That
you're
too
bad?
That
you're
too
far
gone?
That
you
could
never
be
used
or
loved
certainly
not
by
God
on
the
authority
of
God's
word?
It's
a
lie.
And
God
wants
you
to
know
the
truth
of
how
he
feels.
He
loves
you.
Undeserving
sinner,
repeat
idolater
who
keeps
chasing
after
the
thing
that
God's
told
you
not
to,
he
calls
you
back
again
because
he
loves
you
and
he
hasn't
given
up.
Look at
what God
does in
this
passage
so his
children
get a
picture
of the
love
and the
hope
that he
has
for
them.
Verse
four,
the angel
said to
those
standing
before
him,
remove
the
filthy
garments
from
him.
And to
him,
the high
priest,
he said,
behold,
I have
taken
your
iniquity
away
from you
and I
will
clothe
you
with
pure
vestments.
and I
said,
let them
put a
clean
turban
on
his
head.
So they
put a
clean
turban
on
his
head
and
clothed
them
with
garments
and
the
angel
of
the
Lord
is
standing
by
over
all
of
this.
It's
a
change
of
clothes
full
of
significance.
Old
clothes
gone,
new
clothes
on,
and both
of those
are so
important.
There's a
theological
term
for what's
going on
here
that I
want you
to know,
not just
so you
can win
points
at
trivia
night
or
something
like
that,
but because
it makes
a practical
difference
in your
lives.
The term
is
double
imputation.
What in
the world
is double
imputation?
Double
imputation
means that
something
is credited
like
to an
account,
a credit
to an
account.
It's
imputed,
credited
in
two
directions.
Our
sin
credited
to
Jesus
and
Jesus'
righteousness
credited
to
us.
Paul
says it
this way
in 2
Corinthians.
For
our
sake,
God
made
him
to
be
sin
who
knew
no
sin.
That's
Jesus,
right?
God
made
the one
without
sin
to
become
sin
for
us.
He
himself
bore
our
sins
in
his
body
on
the
tree.
So
that
what?
So
that
in
him
we
might
become
the
righteousness
of
God.
Might
be
those
to
whom
God
credits
righteousness
apart
from
works.
Romans
chapter
4.
Now
in terms
of the
orange
jumpsuit,
if
you
are
in
the
orange
jumpsuit
on
the
highway,
you
can't
go
into
the
formal
black
tie
event,
right?
It's not
happening.
But it
takes more
than someone
just taking
the orange
jumpsuit
off of
you and
leaving
you out
there on
the
highway
in a
sweaty
t-shirt
and
athletic
shorts,
right?
That's
not actually
enough.
That may
hide
your biggest
mistakes.
your big
sins,
maybe you're
not visible
as guilty
anymore.
They get
taken away
but there
you are
left out
all on
your own,
right?
You still
can't go
to the
big
event.
You can't
enter that
formal
without a
tux.
You need
new
clothes
too.
Not just
the old
ones gone
but new
ones
given to
you.
Somebody
must give
you a
tux.
And that's
exactly what
God does
for his
priest
in this
vision.
Removes
the dirty
clothes
and brings
the new
white
ones
out.
The only
way he's
allowed to
stand and
serve in
God's
presence
again,
double
imputation.
You remember
that?
Or at least
you remember
what happens.
You're not
standing out
on the
highway
stranded
all by
yourself
just relieved
of your
sins but
on your
own from
this point.
No,
you're
dressed in
these
sparklingly
clean
garments of
Jesus'
righteousness
and ushered
right into
God's
presence.
Remember,
it's God
who does
both of
those things.
What does
he say?
I have
taken
away
and I
will
clothe.
We tend
to look
hope in
ourselves
hope in
ourselves.
Why do we
despair?
Because we
look in
ourselves
and when we
get honest
enough,
we get
discouraged
and think
there's
nothing to
hope in
here.
God says
to you
this morning,
the only
place you
can find
hope is
in his
gracious
mercy.
He does
the cleansing.
See,
that's how we
know we don't
have to clean
ourselves up
before we
come to
God because
God does
the cleansing.
It's his
job.
He loves
it.
You can't
take that
from him.
He's the
one who
does the
cleansing.
You have
to come
dirty to
him and
he washes
you clean.
And that
continues to
be true in
your relationship
with God.
For those
of you who
have known
him, who
he has
washed clean,
that's how
you keep
relating to
him.
You don't
have to fix
yourself before
he can use
you.
He does
that.
double
imputation.
I'm
forgiven
and I'm
righteous.
Radiant.
Maybe kids,
you can think
about the
picture of
Cinderella.
Have you
seen the
movie?
Like the
old one
with cartoons
in it.
Cinderella
there, as
she's getting
ready to go
to the ball
and then what
happens with
her stepsisters,
what do they
do?
They tear
her dress
and there
she is,
Cinderella
left in
shreds with
just rags
hanging off
of her,
right?
And she's
crying and
despairing.
Why?
Because you
can't go to
the ball
dressed like
that.
And she
can't fix
herself.
But the
fairy godmother
knows what
to do,
right?
She comes
and those
rags are
quickly replaced
by a beautiful
gown that
she gets
to go
meet the
prince in.
Maybe that's
what some
of you feel
like today.
Have you
been torn
apart
by others
and left
damaged?
You feel
despair in
that?
You want
to give
up on
yourself?
On God?
Maybe you
just wouldn't
say it
that way.
God doesn't
want to
give up
on you.
He doesn't
just say
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.
It's not
how it
works.
He sends
Jesus
and lives
perfectly
even in
suffering
and endures
the painful
death on
the cross.
See,
he tells
Joshua
the priest
verse 8
this whole
thing with
the dirty
clothes gone
and the
new clean
turban is
what?
A sign.
It's a sign
that he's
going to do
for his
people something
just like
this when
he sends
his servant
the branch.
That may
sound weird.
Servant
and branch.
Both terms
here for the
promised
Messiah.
The rescuer
God's sending
to redeem.
And when
he comes
God says
I will
remove
the
iniquity
of this
land
in a
single
day.
Y'all
that's a
lot of
sin.
Have you
read this?
The Old
Testament
part?
Lots of
sin,
lots of
people,
lots of
generation,
the whole
land
full of
sin.
Repeated
idolatry.
Failure to
keep promises
to do
better next
time.
Way more
sin than
you've had
time to
commit in
your life
or ever
will.
And God
says in
one day
he wipes
it all
away.
And
writes an
inscription
on it.
What is
that new
identity,
new name
tag that
you receive?
It's
holy to
the Lord.
Set
apart
for him.
That's
the
inscription
on the
priest's
garments.
A stone
on the
beautiful
garments
that the
priest would
be wearing
that reads
holy to
the Lord.
God
says I'm
writing that
on you,
on my
people.
Hear
me.
You
can trust
in Jesus
and know
that Jesus
paid it
all.
Everything.
It's
okay that
you're not
okay.
You haven't
figured it
out and
fixed everything
because Jesus
can take away
the mess
and make
you pure
in an
instant.
That's the
good news
of the
Bible.
That's the
message of
this book
is that
people like
us who
don't figure
it out and
don't get
life together
actually have
a Savior
who removes
all of that
and makes
them glorious
the way they've
always wanted
to be.
we trust
Jesus for
that.
He'll do
that for
you.
Will you
trust
Jesus
that his
perfect
blood is
more than
enough
payment
for your
biggest
sin,
for your
darkest
failure?
There's
hope
for all
of us.
Please
don't
despair.
Don't
give up
hope
when
someone
so
powerful
and so
gracious
offers
you
hope
this
morning.
Will you
keep
trusting
that his
perfect
obedience,
not yours,
his
perfect
obedience
is enough
that God
loves
and delights
in you
who have
trusted
Jesus.
Don't
believe
Satan's
lies
to the
contrary.
Listen,
friend who's
never met
Jesus before,
it really
is this
good.
We
actually,
we
Christians
actually
struggle
to believe
it too.
We
struggle
to believe
God
loves
us
like
that
in
spite
of
ourselves.
We're
still
learning
to
trust
him
for
that
and
Satan
still
lies
to
us
and
tells
us
it's
not
true
but
it
is
and
it's
glorious.
And
then God
finishes
off
this
picture
of the
gospel.
As we
walk
with
God
in our
new
clothes
as
his
priests
trusting
him
following
his
word
we
always
have
access
into
his
presence
verse
seven.
Access
not merely
into a
nice event
but into
the head
table
into the
presence
of the
God of
the
universe.
What an
incredible
blessing.
It's
one
thing
that
God
would
pluck
you
off
the
side
of
the
highway
and
take
off
your
orange
jumpsuit
and
throw
a
tux
on
you
and
bring
you
to
the
formal
event
but
he
walks
you
right
up
to
the
head
table
and
sits
you
down
with
him.
An
immeasurably
gracious
blessing.
Of
course
we don't
deserve
that.
And
it's
a
blessing
not
just
for
us
but
for
others.
Go back
to where
we
started.
Israel
was
called
by
God
to be
yes
a
nation
that
had
priests
who
represented
them
to
God
and
God
to
them.
They
were
also
called
to
be
a
nation
of
priests
all
of
them
being
a
nation
of
priests
who
all
together
represented
God
to
the
world.
A
light
to
the
nation.
Right?
That
was
why
they
were
there.
And
God
says
yes
a
light
to
the
nations
you
will
do
this
again.
Verse
10
in
that
day
declares
the
Lord
of
hosts
every
one
of
you
will
invite
his
neighbor
to
come
under
his
vine
and
under
his
fig
tree.
Do
you
hear
what
he's
saying?
He's
talking
about
blessing.
We
will
be
blessed
again.
That's
what the
image
means
peace
and
prosperity
under
your
vine
and
fig
tree.
Yes
but
blessed
for the
sake
of
others.
We
will not
only be
invited
to the
head
table
at the
black
tie
wedding
feast
of the
lamb
but also
asked
to set
the
guest
list.
What?
God
to
invite
others
to
come
with
you
get
to
bring
them.
You
get
to
invite
people
to
join
you
in
God's
presence
forever.
In other
words we
are given
the
privilege
of expressing
the grace
that we
ourselves
have
experienced.
Of
finding
others
undeserving
like us
and saying
here's a
place for
undeserving
people.
There's a
table
that you
get to
sit at
and a
God
who
loves
you
and
makes
you
clean.
We
get the
privilege
of introducing
others
to the
one
who
redeems
us
when we
don't
deserve
it.
And that
part of
our
mission
as
priests
as
God's
people
is what
we're
going to
focus
on next
Sunday.
It's
so
exciting.
I
hope
you're
here.
But
Southwood
people
of God
called
to be
priests
to
Huntsville
and to
the
nations
you need
to hear
this
truth.
You
may be
a
church
with a
split
in your
history.
You
may be
a church
with a
young
pastor
whose
leadership
at times
seems a
bit
wobbly.
God
says
I
decide
whom
I
will
choose
whom
I
will
love
treasure
and
use
in
my
kingdom
and
you're
part
of
my
people
united
to
my
son
so
I
choose
you
to
be
my
beloved
children
I
choose
you
to
storm
the
gates
of
hell
and
rescue
dying
sinners
because
the
accusations
of
Satan
and
the
gates
of
hell
will
never
for
more
information
visit us
online
at
southwood.org